I Met A Legend
by BeyondTheOceanFloor
Summary: This is a companion short story to the novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. If you haven't read the original don't worry about not understanding mine.
1. Dust Storm

**I could set up the story, but just read it as if it is a story all by itself,**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Dust Storm**

Hurry, Jonathan the sun is setting. As the sun began to disappear behind

the dying oak tree, a large sand storm was approaching. With nothing, but a 

second to spare Jonathan entered the house and shut the door. The house was a

very dark place. All the windows were boarded up with fresh pine and the

only light seen was from a single candle. The room had very little furniture in

it, what they did have was covered in two inch think dust. As Ruth stood there

she wondered if the storms were ever going to end. Ruth a very decent size

woman with a little chest and a head full of bright red hair. The storms had

been going for days on end now with only minor breaks in between each. It

had been days since there had been a clear day and the dust was affecting

everything. There was nothing that was safe from the ongoing storms.

Everything that they had to eat tasted like the dust of the earth. This had begun

to affect the family greatly.

As Ruth entered her kitchen to prepare dinner for four, she began to

cry. For days now she had to feed her two children dried up noodles. The only

thing that she had in the kitchen to make this not so dry was a little spaghetti

sauce. Kids, kids wake up you have to eat something. I know that both of

you are in pain, but you have to keep up your strength. As her daughter Anna

Claire raised herself up to eat, Mary Kathryn didn't budge. Mary Kathryn

please get up and eat something or you will continue to be sick. Again Mary

Kathryn made no response. Ruth then became worried and moved over to her

daughter's side. She gently pressed her hand onto to Mary Kathryn's forehead,

it was as cold as ice. Jonathan, Jonathan come fast Mary Kathryn isn't

breathing. It was to late, however when Jonathan made it upstairs.

The next day Jonathan retrieved the shovel out of the garage and they

laid Mary Kathryn to rest. As he began to lay the dirt on the body he checked

his pocket watch to make sure they had time before the next storm would be

upon them. Ruth couldn't contain herself during the funeral. She just fell to her

knees and began to cry and scream for her baby girl to return. For the Ingram

family that day was the worst day they had ever seen in Inglewood.


	2. Broken Record

**Chapter 2: Broken Record**

* * *

As the next few months progressed nothing had gotten better. Anna

Claire continued to be bed ridden and showed no signs of being healed. And on

top of that Jonathan seemed to be acting strange. One day he hadn't returned

home in time from one of the storms and when he had returned home he had a

nasty puncture wound from what looked like a snake. I had worked quickly

and was able to remove the snake's fang, but the blood loss was pretty severe.

He lays bed ridden as well and I had then been forced to do all the house jobs.

Henry also has been having terrible tooth aches since then and seems to have

acquired a love for red meat.

The storms seem to be getting worse recently. Not only are they worse,

but they seem to be coming more often. The only thing I can think to do is

replaced the loose pine boards with fresh ones as well as retrieve what food I

can from the local Inglewood general store. I picked up what food I could

carry and came home lugging it through the once busy streets. It was so

strange how empty the streets were. There wasn't a soul anywhere and all the

stores were open just no one was in them. I had felt terrible the first time

taking stuff from the store, but no one was there to take my money. I had

actually tried leaving it there once, but upon returning it was still in the same

spot only covered with dust.

As I turned down the intersection of Transcontinental and Pennsylvania,

I saw that my front door was open. I rushed towards it as fast as my skirt

would allow me to go. When I entered the door I saw that there had been no

forced entry. Nothing had been moved and it seemed that everything was how

I had left it. Jonathan, where are you? I listened for the call of his voice,

but it never came. I called again, but there was no change from before. I

hurried up the stairs to Anna Claire's room to check on her. Relief rushed

across my face when I saw her body still laying on the bed. I scurried across

the room to see how she was doing and terror took away the relief. Her

expression was one of horror like she had seen a ghost. She was dead and laid

there with only her expression. I tore out of the room as fast as I could go.

It seemed like years later I returned to my house. It had only been

hours that had past , but my search for Jonathan turned up empty. The house

was to quiet and the only sounds I could hear were coming from the oncoming

dust storm. I searched through Jonathan's closet in hopes of finding something

to quiet my thoughts. I found his old record player they we had been given at

our wedding. Oh what a beautiful day that had been. I still remember that

blessed day. I was swept off my feet and we had retreated to our paradise in

the mountains.

I took the record player downstairs and took one of the rags from the

linen closet to dust it off. Only problem was now I had nothing to play on it. I

began checking everywhere for some sign of a record. I found one record

upstairs in the attic. The record had been Jonathan's favorite. I took it

downstairs and placed it on the record player. The sounds of Rachmaninoff's

Second Piano Concerto filled the room. With these sounds, also came the

emotion for my husband that I miss dearly. I can't stand to take these feelings

anymore. I have lost everything in just a matter of months. Not only did I lose

my youngest daughter months ago, but now my oldest daughter and husband

on the same day. Who is there to look after me now? I am all alone in this

world now and there is nothing left for me to live for. The piano concerto cuts

off.


	3. The Count

**Chapter 3: The Count**

* * *

Things are even worse now. It has been six days since my husband

disappeared and every day has become a nightmare. I know that it may seem

crazy what I'm about to reveal, but I don't even believe it myself. Every night

when the sun goes down I have the most horrifying visitors ever imaginable.

Vampires go tearing down my dead end and stalk my house. They rip, tear

and destroy everything in sight. I don't know how I have been able to do it,

but I have been able to survive this deadly and dark nights.

I have only a few minutes now till they show up again and I must

prepare myself for the night that lies ahead. Oh, what I would do to have

Jonathan here with me now to stop these demons and hold me close. I hear

them now I must get inside. As the door was locked by Ruth Ingram the sound

of vampires clawing scorches the pine guarding the door.

Leave me alone, Leave me alone what have I done to all of you? Just go

away and don't come back. Ruth then heard the unthinkable. " Hello, Ruth My

name is Ben Cortman and I know where your husband is." You devils how do

you know my name? How do you know that my husband is missing? " I know

your husband personally or so I did. He was killed the other night by a man

that we have been trying to stop from killing." No, No not my dear Jonathan

this can't be. You're lying you fiend go away and never come back. "I am not

lying and I can prove it to you that I have seen your husband." I have no choice

my life is nothing without Robert and I can't survive without him. As Ruth

reached to open the creaking door her hand began to shake with fear. She had

no idea what she was about to encounter next. As the door was opened she

saw what she had read about in Dracula. There they stood with their fangs and

black robes. Ahead of all them was Ben Cortman who stood there on the porch

with a pocket watch in his hand. That is Jonathan's watch where is he? " We

will take you to be with him, but first you have to do something for us first."

What is it? What do you want me to do? " Follow me and I will take you to the

Count and he will give you the instructions."


	4. The Choice

**Chapter 4: The Choice**

* * *

The trip was a longer one then I had predicted , but it only took about an

hour to get there. When I arrived they locked me in this dark room and I have

seen no sign of Robert or this so called Count. Maybe I made the wrong

decision? Maybe that wasn't even his watch? How could I be fooled by such

little proof. As the door opened all that entered was a bat that flew high over

Ruth's head. She continued to keep her eyes on the bat as it flew to the ground

and landed. The bat began to change and take the form of one of the vampires,

except something was different about him. He had a certain spark about him

that she knew this instant that this was indeed the Count.

Sir, could you tell me where my husband is? The Count then spoke

"Your husband is dead and was killed by a man that we have been trying to

kill. He attacked him during the day in your own house. When you were gone

he came and drove a stake into him and carried his body off to be burned." No,

No he can't be dead. Jonathan was my whole life and now I will never be able

to see him again. " That is a false statement my dear. I know a way that you

can spend eternity with him. With just one bite from me my dear you will

become immortal and can spend forever walking side by side with him." Okay

I am ready perform the bite so I can spend eternity with my husband. " I will

perform the bite, but you must do something for us first.

We need you to go out during the day and be found by the man. His

name is Robert Neville. He has been learning things about us and we believe

he knows to much. Spy on him and learn all you can before you return here and

spend your days with your husband. However, when I perform the bite you will

be unable to go out during the day and your skin will turn as white as snow like

mine." What must I do then to not be noticed as being one of you. "We have

developed a pill that allows us to stay out during the day. But, the pill only lasts

for twelve hours and we can only give you five. After that you must return back

to us with all you have. As far as being white, you must use lots of makeup. So

much that not only will you look like your normal self, but will have a tan

about you." I will do this let us hurry and not waste a moment.

As Count went in for the bite Ruth passed out flat on the floor. She had

become so tense and filled with delight of seeing her husband, she had fallen

into a deep sleep. When Ruth awoke she had a very intense headache and she

was snow white.

Oh, What have I done. Why did I let them take me and change me? Why

did I give in and agree to do this thing for them? Well I guess there is no reason

to think about what I have done. Now I must now finish my task so I can

forever be with my husband. I must take this pill and march on to my destiny.

Ruth headed out of the empty black room that now held her past. All

that she had knew and cared for was left in that room forever. All that she had

left was the thought and dreams of reaching Jonathan and seeing him again.

What am I going to do? What am I going to say? I have never even met

this man and yet I am to spy on him. This seems so wrong, yet the wrong thing

to do was for him to kill Jonathan. I must show no sympathy for the man for he

has shown no sympathy towards me. No matter what he says or what he does I

will be ready for him. This field smells very strong maybe my sense of smell

has gotten stronger. My neck burns with pain and I can't even lift it up enough

to look ahead of me. I just wish "Hi, Hey there." This is it I am about to meet a

Legend. But, I can't do this. I can't lie face to face with this man and pretend

to be his saving grace. My only chance is to run and I must do it now.


End file.
